


Mother's Love

by Writersblock159



Series: Black Spots Before the Red Dawn [3]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Angst, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Support
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-29
Updated: 2018-07-29
Packaged: 2019-06-18 10:20:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,193
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15483612
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Writersblock159/pseuds/Writersblock159
Summary: Sabine is not the most understanding mother a girl could ask for. But one cannot say that she doesn't look out for her daughter.Stand alone one-shot.





	Mother's Love

**Author's Note:**

> I remembered my description of Sabine back in the first chapter of DMC which is what led to a question, which is what led to this fic. It isn't necessary to read Devil May Care to understand this fic, but it will provide a bit of background information. As it is, I really wanted to write a story that showed that Marinette, no matter how much I like her, is still a teen. and this gave me a chance to do so.  
> This takes place after chapter 7, when Marinette goes home, for everyone matching DMC timeline.  
> One of these days I'll update DMC too... don't worry.  
> Enjoy

_ “So you say I'm complicated, that I must be outta my mind… But… What's wrong with being confident?” Confident- Demi Lovato _

 

* * *

 

Marinette held her mother's gaze. 

She had many thoughts and ideas about the direction this could go. Her mother could yell at her for missing school, could ask her about why her parents had found Alya tackling her the other night, or, the one Marinette was most worried about, Sabine might finally know that her daughter was secretly a superhero. 

When the older woman laid a little black box on the table, Marinette had a pretty good idea which direction the conversation was going to go. 

“Marinette,” her mother began slowly. “Do you know what this is?”

“It’s a jewelry box maman.” Marinette responded, hoping she didn't look as guilty as she felt. 

Her face frustratingly neutral, her mother nodded. “Can you tell me where you got this from?” 

“No maman, I found it.” Marinette felt herself inadvertently begin to relax. This was going a lot better than she’d thought it would. 

“So you don’t know what it stands for.” 

Crap. 

“No, maman.” 

“I see,” Sabine stood and moved to the kettle on the stove, pouring hot water in two cups, and bringing them back to the table. Then returning to the pantry for tea. While most of France still preferred coffee to tea, her mother's Chinese roots meant that she could often be found with a cup of tea, a trait she had passed to her daughter. 

Marinette was staring at the box so intently, hoping her mother didn’t know her secret, that she didn't realize her mother was speaking to her until Sabine had returned with a, “Well?” 

Trying to hide her blush, she quietly said. “Apologies, maman, I wasn't paying attention.”

Giving her a reproachful look, her mother asked again. “I was asking if you wanted to know what it says.” 

Marinette blinked; she wasn't exactly a Mandarin savant. Heck, when her uncle had visited, her attempts to make conversation had been embarrassing to say the least, but she was fairly certain that the glyphs on her box weren't any language she was familiar with; even just in passing.

“Do you know what it says, Maman?” She blurted l, before she could stop herself. 

Sabine gave a curt nod. “I am familiar with the symbols, though I cannot give an exact translation.” Turning the box so the hinges were facing away from Marinette, her mother pointed to the first symbol on the little white dot in the front. “Luck.” Rotating the little box to the next face her mother pointed at the two dots. “Power and bravery.” The next face. “Wisdom.” Rotating it again. “Power and,” her mother's face scrunched a bit, “fortitude I believe. These glyphs are very traditional, and I don't remember everything my wai zu mu taught me.” She sighed a little wistfully. “Enjoy your time with your lao lao Marinette, I was too young to realize how much my elders could teach me.” Marinette nodded as her mother turned her attention back to the little box on the table. 

“Now, the next frame on the back here is Luck again, then it's power again followed by endurance. The next is intelligence and finally the last two are power and what I think is strength.” At Marinette's inquisitive glance, her mother explained, “Many old homes have luck glyphs around them, same with old libraries and wisdom and intelligence. Power glyphs are fairly common around shrines, but the others I'm only able to make educated guesses based on what I've seen, and what I can remember from my grandmother's stories.” After a pause, she added, “Also from what I can remember from my father's experience as an archaeologist.” 

Marinette was surprised, “Grandfather was an archaeologist?” At her mother's nod, she asked, “What did he say about this?” 

“Nothing yet,” Sabine sighed, “I emailed him and lao mu this morning when I saw this in your room, I took a couple of pictures as well,” Marinette felt a bolt of fear course through her. Would her grandfather recognize the box as a legendary container of immense power? She hoped not. 

“Why do you want to know where I got it from?” Marinette asked nervously. 

Her mother flipped over the box, “These glyphs,” she pointed to the runes surrounding the rim of the box base, “make me nervous.” She pinned her daughter with a look, an Marinette fought down the urge to shift under the intense stare. “I do not trust beings of higher power, and your great-grandmother often spoke of the kami and other such spirits. Not all of them were peaceful, and even fewer cared about the humans they met with.”

Ignoring the line about caring, Marinette leaned over the upside-down box, “So what do these glyphs mean?” The runes were a little smaller than her pinkys fingertip, and ran around the base in a repeating pattern. 

“Dampening, and… binding glyphs. Marinette what was in this box when you got it?” 

Marinette continued to stare down at the box. Her lying was terrible, but she couldn't tell her mother what this box was, or what was in it. She had to ask Tikki, but if she left now her mother would know something was up. Nothing for it. “I found it empty maman.” She looked up, “I was going to turn it into a project at some point, probably for Alya.” 

_ “When did lying to my mother become the most normal thing in my life,”  _ Marinette thought sadly, fighting to keep her own face a mix of confusion and surprise, as her mother looked back at her.  _ “Worse, when did I become okay with it?” _

“If you say so, Marinette,” Sabine sighed, dropping her gaze. “Until I get word from your grandfather, I don't want this thing under my roof. Understood?”

“Why?” The word was out before Marinette could stop it, and her mother gave her a skeptical look. 

“This was a container for something that was obviously powerful. Something so powerful that whoever imprisoned it in this box, went to the painstaking process of engraving it to ensure it  _ did not escape _ .” Pausing for a moment, her mother took a deep breath before continuing, “You've said this was empty when you found it. If that's true,” Marinette winced at the implication, “Then there's something out there that is tied to this box. I don't want it here in case it comes back.”

Marinette stared at her mother; she couldn't be serious. “Firstly, maman, it is  _ mine. _ ” Sabine’s eyebrows raised, and Marinette hurried to finish her sentence. “Secondly,  _ it’s just a box! _ Do you expect it to suddenly possess us all?” Marinette snorted derisively. “If anything we want to keep it around since it actually has many positive glyphs.” 

“Marinette, this is my house. It is where you live. I don't care if that is the long lost philosopher’s stone. I have said no, and you  _ will _ obey me!” Her mother had stood up and leaned over the table a bit. 

“And I refuse to let you just throw out my things.” Marinette countered, rising as well, “This is a  _ box _ maman, it's just a box! You're treating it as though it's the blasted black Bible or something.”

“If it's just a box,” Sabine responded, “then you shouldn't have any issue throwing it out.” 

“It's a box I like!” Marinette shouted, her patience snapping. “It's something that belongs to  _ me,  _ and by the same token, does not belong to  _ you _ .” She was sick of this. She wasn't going to let her mother throw out Tikki’s box. “I cannot believe that you are willing to throw out something that your daughter likes-” 

“Marinette, do not yell at me!” Sabine cut off her daughter, “I am your mother and you will show me some respect. It is because I am your mother that I refuse to let you keep this. It is dangerous.” 

“You're right,” Marinette snapped, “I might get a sliver.” She rolled her eyes, “The only dangerous thing about this is that it might cause parents to act stupid.”

“Enough!”

Marinette and her mother jumped, turning to the newcomer. Tom did not look pleased. “Marinette Dupain-Cheng, go to your room.” 

Marinette couldn't believe what she was hearing. “Dad, she's trying-” 

“Now!” The large baker bellowed. Grabbing the box on the table, Marinette raced up to her room, slamming the trapdoor behind her before flopping down on her lounge and starting to cry. 

She felt the telltale pats on her shoulder that indicated that Tikki was there if she needed her, but she ignored the little Kwami’s ministrations.

_ “It's not fair,”  _ she thought bitterly,  _ “I know mama is just trying to keep me safe. But she doesn't know what she's talking about and now I've had to lie to her.” _ A fresh wave of tears assaulted her,  _ “I've been so careful about how I phrase things. I didn't want to be the person who could lie easily. It’s not something a hero should do. What have I become?” _ She was pulled from her self pity by a knock on her door. 

“Marinette,” Her father's voice came from below. “Can I come in?” 

Tikki vanished into her chosen’s jacket as Marinette sat up, wiping her eyes and face. “Yes, Papa.“

Tom entered the room and sighed. Marinette motioned for him to sit, so he pulled over her desk chair. “So, your mother said she told you to do something, and you flat out refused.” Marinette nodded, no need to lie any more than she absolutely had to. “Why?” Her father looked at her curiously. 

“She was going to throw out something that belongs to me.” Marinette said quietly. 

“I see.” The massive baker sighed again, “Do you think that she was doing it for a bad reason?”

Marinette shrugged “She's superstitious and she's forcing that on me.”  _ “The fact she's completely correct in her superstitions is another matter.”  _ she thought morosely _.  _

“Can I see the item in question?” Her father asked, at Marinette's suspicious look, he added. “I just want to see what it is that she's worried about. After all,” he chuckled, “If you've been feeding a stray black cat, I may have to agree with your mother,” Marinette imagined the look on Chat’s face if he heard that. Plagg’s face would probably be amusing too now that she thought about it.

“No, Papa, it's a box.” She reached to where she'd left it, and handed it to him, “I like it, and I wanted it to store earrings.” Half-truths again, no more lies. Hopefully. 

Tom examined the box closely before setting it back on the chaise and looking at her again. “It's very pretty, but do you really think that it was worth a fight with your mother?” 

Marinette winced, her father wielded guilt the way a fire dancer wielded fire. Quickly, carefully, and precisely. Ignoring her conscience, she responded. “Would it stop here? Today it's this box, tomorrow Alya isn't my best friend, how about I hang out with someone else?” Doing the best impression of her mother she continued. “Marinette, I know you enjoy working on fashion, but it's not the most stable of professions, have you considered life as an accountant?” Ignoring her father's badly concealed snicker she pressed on. “I know she wouldn't do that, but I also thought she wouldn't force her superstitions on me.”  _ “I wonder if the General-Directorate would take me if they knew I was a superhero,” _ she thought, as she waited for her father to respond,  _ “A few years of having to come up with stories ought to be a good resume builder.”  _

“Marinette,” her father sighed, “I know you're in the age where parents are stupid, and you just want to find your own way. I promise you that we do know a few things though.”

_ “Oh no.”  _

Placing a hand on her shoulder her father looked in her eyes, “I want to help you Marinette, your mother wants to help you, and I hope that you'll remember that.” As Marinette nodded, he gave her a big hug, “Your mother was a bit put out at me when I pointed out I didn't think she'd have been too thrilled if I had said the same things she'd said to you about a little box. She wants to apologize.” He pulled back and gave her a wink. “I'm sure it has nothing to do with the fact your grandfather called and mentioned what a neat little good luck charm it was.” Marinette’s eyes widened. “Apparently they sell for about two francs back in China.”

“Grandfather called?” 

“Apparently someone let him know that his daughter was concerned about something.” Tom looked away innocently. 

Marinette giggled. “I suppose that would do it.” 

Her father grinned as well, “It did. Now what do you say we head downstairs? You and your mother owe each other some pretty major apologies, and we can go for ice cream as soon as we close.” 

“Thank you, Papa!” Marinette hugged her father before racing downstairs, not hearing his response. 

“It's the least I can do.”

**Author's Note:**

> So I managed to get my beta to look this ever before I posted it. But getting her to look at anything has been an effort in futility regarding her schedule. Heck I only got this done because she had ten minutes before she went food shopping. The rest of the time she's busy with homework etc.  
> Glad it's her and not me.  
> R&R


End file.
